matclip-940-229045

19 May 2012

Superb!

Set aside the fact that people are forgetting how to enjoy a flick.Pick away all you want at little parts of even the greatest film everand you'll surely find something to criticize. A movie is, well, amovie. So now that all that is out of the way, where do I even start?This film brought me to tears, it had my attention the whole waythrough. I don't understand those that say parts are slow, what werethey watching? It wasn't this one, that's for sure. Everybody thatworked to put this one together did a fantastic job, and it mostdefinitely shows. I do believe the movie touched me so intensely inpart because I have a wife and a son, and was able to feel a relationto the characters. Regardless, the movie was just fantastic, and youwill not regret the experience. Unless of course you are one of therising population of "movie critics" that score films based onguidelines, or however they get their ridiculous views. Enjoy this one!

18 May 2012

HE THINKS SHE DIDN'T DO IT

Russell Crowe's wife is convicted of the murder of her boss. The victims blood was on her and her fingerprints were on the murder weapon. Convinced of his wife's innocence Crowe decides to bust her out and then go live in some third world country. On the advice he gets in a cameo from Liam Neeson, he spends the first half of the film arranging things so he can bust her out. He is a rank amateur who gets his butt handed to him while learning. Most movies start with the break out. Why? Because the prep work is boring, but now we all know how to bust someone out of prison. I am sure somebody will after watching this movie, and it won't be their wife. While the acting was good, I still had trouble identifying with the characters.

del91

18 May 2012

Great acting and well-crafted romantic thriller

The film opens strongly with a blood-splattered college professor JohnBrennan (Russell Crowe) driving away from something, with a passengerbeside him barely clinging on to life and gasping for air. Flash backthree years before and we see him and his wife Lara (Elizabeth Banks)as a happily married couple, complete with a nice house, a kid, andrespectable careers. All this changes when Lara is suddenly arrested athome for charges of murder. Another flash forward three years later -John is a single parent to his traumatized son Luke; Lara is in prisonwith her last appeal being denied and her son looking away from her;and the crime is left unsolved. Both John and Lara are driven to theedge of their human nature, with John becoming more and more desperateto get his wife out of prison at ANY cost, and Lara becoming more andmore pessimistic about her situation, to the point of attemptingsuicide. That, for John, was the final straw.A remake of a French film, "Anything For Her", which I sadly had themisfortune of not seeing prior to this; "The Next Three Days" isultimately a well-crafted thriller with a plateful of goodperformances, heart-pounding suspense, and ultimately, intense passionand romance. Yes, this is ultimately a love story as it poses theall-too-obvious question - how far will one go to save the one theylove?Clichéd as that may sound (and arguably it is), it is made believablewith Crowe's moody and grim performance, and a rare and surprisinglygreat dramatic turn for Banks, who shows that she has acting chopsafter supporting and starring roles in many a romantic comedy. Croweshows calm moments when with his wife, but we all know that underneathis an angry and desperate man waiting to explode, and we can see thatin his eyes. Banks gives a frank and focused performance, with the kindof sorrow one feels like when seeing a puppy getting kicked for noreason. But ultimately this is Crowe's show, and he pulls off his rolewith confidence.The crime being unsolved is not the matter in this film. It's all aboutJohn and his quest to get Lara out. And John being a normal collegeprofessor, consults a prison escapee (Liam Neeson in an all-too-shortsupporting performance) on how to break out of any prison, and the planis set. The law is depicted as being realistically tough and cruel. Butthe audience is placed firmly on John's side the moment the filmstarts, it becomes no surprise that the audience cheers when Johnmanages to elude every law enforcement agency that comes after him.Writer/director Paul Haggis, who wrote and directed the Oscar-winningBest Picture "Crash", tries something mainstream and he slightlysucceeds. Don't get me wrong - Haggis is a great screenwriter and greatdramatic film director, but here he is working with fast-paced materialhere. The slow moments tend to drag on for quite some time and thisdistracts the audience's attention. The screenplay also has sometrouble - especially near the end; Olivia Wilde's character doesn'thave much purpose (although her acting is okay), and especially Johnevades the law so efficiently and perfectly to the point where I felt Inearly had to suspend my disbelief. None-the-less, the plot twists andthe thrills just kept on coming in the second leg of the film, and itgrabs your attention. This is where Haggis succeeds brilliantly withhis direction.The production design really makes great use of Pittsburgh, thecinematography is nicely framed without shaky cam, but I felt that themusic by veteran Danny Elfman is a bit too heavy-handed andmelodramatic. On the supporting actors, besides Banks, Wilde andNeeson, we get good support from Brian Dennehy, Jason Beghe, RZA,Jonathan Tucker, Kevin Corrigan, Tyrone Giordano and Daniel Stern.Is this going to win any Oscars? Probably not, but I sense a newchapter for Elizabeth Banks' career. And slow as this may be, this isactually a terrific date movie you can bring your other to if the bothof you have the patience. The pacing may be a bit muddled and thisdefinitely is not up to par with other superior mainstream thrillerssuch as "The Fugitive" or anything by Hitchcock, but ultimately Haggishas crafted a very handsome and slick thriller.Now excuse me while I hunt down the original. Why can't my country(Malaysia) show more foreign films?!Overall rating: 73/100

17 May 2012

Suspenseful & Intriguing

This review is from: The Next Three Days (Amazon Instant Video) Not a lot to say; Russel Crowe plays a believable and distressed husband and father that will go to no end to reunite his family. Some action, lots of suspense. Altogether an enjoyable movie.

djxpire76

12 May 2012

Not an original, this is a remake from french movie "Pour Elle" (2008)

The Next Three Days 2010 is entirely a remake of french movie "PourElle" (2008) IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1217637/. The storylinefrom Pour Elle is: "Lisa and Julien are married and lead a happyuneventful life with their son Oscar. But their life radically changesone morning, when the police comes to arrest Lisa on murder charges.She's sentenced to 20 years of prison. Convinced of his wife'sinnocence, Julien decides to act. How far will he be willing to go forher?" It is pretty obvious now that The Next Three Days is not theoriginal movie now, both are similar in their plot however being filmeddifferent directing style. Remember the parts of drawings/pinned ups onthe wall, the playground and the escape route using the hospital as thekey, all these can be found in both movies.

aaron esmonde

11 May 2012

Different but considering the talent lacks conviction.

After his wife is convicted of murder John Brennan becomes obsessedwith the idea of breaking her out of jail.Intriguing and seemly original premise with fine performances fromRussell Crowe and Elizabeth Banks as husband and wife. Familiar facesshow up including Liam Neeson, Brian Dennehy and Olivia Wilde insupporting roles. Danny Elfman's score adds to the poignant father and son moments andthe dark shadowy look and drama of the film. Crowe is on form as thedesperate father who's willing to go into the dangerous underbelly ofthe city, to deal with unsavoury characters and bend the law.Accomplished screen- writer/director Paul Haggis falls short ofdelivering big thrills or excitement as this offering is simply aperfect life story turned upside down for the most part. That said,it's enjoyable to see Crowe go through the plight of an everyday mantrying to deal with his situation and attempt to pull off theimpossible. There's some standout moments in the latter half and goodbuild up to a satisfying pay off which makes it all worth it.It's different, interesting and subtle but mediocre at times especiallyconsidering the heavy weight talent involved.

05 May 2012

Suspense Thriller/Love Story

I enjoyed this movie all the way through. Actually apprecited the action slowing a bit occasionally, so I could relax. The Next Three Days is definitely worth seeing. Mostly shown from the perspective of the husband, played by Russell Crowe, who is completely devoted to his wife and their son. Really look forward to the DVD release and hopefully a Director's Cut.

05 May 2012

Good movie SHOULD have done better at the box office

I was VERY DISAPPOINTED this film did NOT do well at the box office. Mistake of the studio, released in the USA same day as a Harry Potter movie.I enjoyed the movie. Russell did his usual great job. Good to see Liam IF ONLY FOR 1 SCENE.Yes, you have to buy the plot of a movie that a school teacher is going to get training & skills to break his wife out of jail, etc.There are plot holes. FILM MAKERS, I DID NOT NEED THE THROW UP SCENE. Could have cut away.Russell did a song in it.I had NOT seen Brian Dennehy in ages. Been 20 years since "Presumed Innocent". And, you have to know your stuff. Trudie Styler Sting's wife is in here briefly.A bit long. The ending drug out.I will not input big spoilers here.For a DVD, glad to see some extras on it.Now, complaints on DVD package. One with the card board slip covers. AND, THIS ONE HAS TWO HOLES IN IT, FOR PRICE ........ STUPID MAKES NO SENSE. AND, I KEEP COMPLAINING ABOUT THESE, THE PLASTIC CASES WITH THE INTENTIONAL HOLES IN THEM SO YOUR DVD CAN BE DAMAGED.If you are a fan of Russell's you will enjoy the film.

lsteviebgood

02 May 2012

surprisingly good

I was impressed with the continuity of the bruises,hair color, etc. Iwas impressed with Haggis' choices in direction. Well done!Had a littletrouble with the detective "spotting" the couple so easily in thesubway. The child could have been bit less catatonic throughout. Somesay the plot took too long to develop, but I thought it was veryrealistically portrayed considering most of us are not experienced withthe horrors of losing our "family" to chance circumstances, prisonbreakouts and the unnecessary criminal underworld.Just wanted to giveHaggis kudos, but didn't realize I had to fill up ten lines.Oh, Kudosto the prius angle....it's good to know that there's a good/tough guythat can drive one.I will look for more of Haggis' work.

01 May 2012

Crowe does crow

Russell Crowe has a definite style and it comes through in this movie. Excellent from start to finish, it's the kind of movie that keeps you glued to the screen,

29 April 2012

Worth Owning the Blu Ray

This review is from: The Next Three Days (Single Disc w/features) (Blu-ray) Loved the movie and Russell Crowe. Lots of action and great cinematography. Well worth owning on blu ray which made the action sequences much better than ordinary DVD.

28 April 2012

Movie purchase.

This review is from: The Next Three Days (DVD) This recent purchase adds more action to my library. The movie itself is intense and the purchase price made it more intense.

27 April 2012

positive depiction of marital/family life

This review is from: The Next Three Days (Amazon Instant Video) I had to rent it twice. It was so slow, it didn't hold my attention long enough to see it in one sitting. That said, it was good enough and intellectual enough for me to rent it again to finish. After seeing it, the only lasting impression I had was that it was a fairly clean film that showed a rare depiction of a happy family and a healthy marital relationship. For that alone, I would recommend it.

cannon_lab-944-707222

26 April 2012

Haggis and Crowe make a great team

Paul Haggis is a filmmaker I've come to admire over the last decade. Ienjoyed Crash (2004) and the screenplay for the last two Bond films,both penned by Haggis. Likewise Haggis' latest movie, The Next ThreeDays, is suitably impressive.The Next Three Days deals with the imprisonment of Elizabeth Banks,wife to Russell Crowe, but her innocence is called into question. Croweplans to break Banks out of prison, leading the family-man protagonistinto a new world of crime and violence.Crowe is brilliantly cast in a role that plays well on his diversity asan actor. The character begins as a dedicated husband and father, asthe film progresses he leads a second life choosing to rest his moralcompass while pursuing a radical solution through a world of crime.One scene that stood out for me in particular is Crowe's brief speechto Banks after her "confession". The depth of Crowe's performance inthis moment was truly outstanding.I'm a fan of Russell Crowe and I'm sure I could write an essay on hisperformance. While the Next Three Days is a brilliant example ofCrowe's ability, I doubt this will garner another academy award for thestar, but I'd happily wager that another golden statue will adornCrowe's shelf in the future.Haggis' script effortlessly combines a frank realism that many modernthrillers fail to achieve. I found the plots' ability to seamlesslyswitch between all out action and prosaic thriller quite effective, andclearly demonstrates Haggis' strengths as a director and writer. Withmovies like this Haggis is moving into the top flight of US filmmakers.The film culminates in an epic chase scene with Crowe and Banks evadingtheir captors, built up over the course of the film from intermittentaction scenes throughout the film. 20 minutes of cat and mouse pursuitlead to a climatic finale that is both spectacular and unmissable.As much as I enjoyed The Next Three Days I did find there were severalscenes that lost the build up of momentum (for example the scenes inthe park, while integral to the plot create a definite lull).I think this is a film that on repeat viewings will become moreenjoyable. The excellent script and direction combined with a strongcast and powerful performances make The Next Three Days an earlycontender for top 10 films of 2011.Taken from -http://cannonlab.wordpress.com/2011/01/05/the-next-three-days-review/

Daniel

23 April 2012

CRITICS ARE WRONG - AGAIN!

I don't what the critics are thinking: about a C average in ratings? So happy that I didn't go by them. Best movie I've seen in a long time. The parallels to real-life are amazing - "last time we flew you lost our luggage". My spirit is renewed after seeing the common guy beat the system. Cheerio!

priyantha-bandara

22 April 2012

Not the typical Jail break movie

Russell Crowe is a promising actor. Coming from a great history likeGladiator and Master & Commander he is not a person to mess aroundwith. But I have my doubts if his potential is completely used in 'TheNext 3 Days'.The story goes like this. Russell portrays a community college teacherJohn Brennan. Having a perfect loving life with his wife and son itcomes to a sudden halt when his wife Lara (played by Elizabeth Banks)is convicted for murder. With hard evidence to back the case she endsup in jail and John left helpless and heartbroken with his kid.Believing that his wife is not guilty he tries his level best to gothrough proper legal channels in order to get her free. After yearstrying every option and hitting a dead end he decides that it's time toplay dirty. With that the calm dramatic movie suddenly starts to smelllike Prison Break.'The Next 3 Days' is a long movie. It runs for good 15 mts more thantwo hours. But to my amusement it was not boring. There is lot ofdetails involved and little little bits and pieces gathered from hereand there which ultimately pulls of the master plot. Even though it'sslow the plot manages to keep the attention centered well whileproviding intelligent twists time to time. So the story is quiteunpredictable and its one reason why it's good. The other reason isthat it concentrates on family and drama than being a jail break movieas a whole. Most of the scenes take place outside the prison walls andsurrounding John so there is a vast number of opportunities and spaceto move about.However the script is not perfect. For me there are too manycoincidences. You might call it luck but too much luck is not that goodin a movie. After you watch the whole thing if a single one of thoselucky moments were missing the movie should have ended quite early thanexpected. So depending on luck is not very promising when someone isworking his brains out of a plan like this one.There is good performance from the leading actors but nothingworthwhile mentioning. Script doesn't offer space for good memorablequotes or maybe little weak at following timeliness.Overall 'The Next 3 Days' is a good view. But it will not go down inthe history as one of best movies of Russell or Elizabeth nor will itbe one of the best movies in your movie collection. You will not watchit twice but pretty much will enjoy it in one viewing.

22 April 2012

Very Suspenseful

This review is from: The Next Three Days (Amazon Instant Video) Great Movie. Actors were sympathetic and believable in their roles. Condensing three years of trial and appeal into a few minutes, you still felt the anguish and frustration and hopelessness of not being able to prove the wife's innocence. After the husband's decision was made to try a jailbreak, the desperate tactics begin. The movie had me rooting for the success of their flight to freedom. Thoroughly enjoyable and highly recommended.

talentedripples

22 April 2012

My Next Three Snores!

Next Three Days...well a lot can happen in five minutes so you wouldthink a lot would happen in three days. Wouldn't you? A lot happeningin Next Three days? Nope. Next Three Days is a 2 hour long drag of yourlife you will never get back. The plot takes far too long to set up(only the first half an hour is any good, after which it rapidlydeclines into catching some Zzzzs). by the time the action comes theprevious whole load of nothing cannot be overlooked, forgotten orignored. In reality the action does not outweigh the mass of boringrubbish before hand. There's little substance here, it's slow with nosuspense at all.Russel Crowe, a very good actor cannot save this. He is the only goodthing about this movie, and unfortunately is the only very tiny lightshining in the dark. The idea is a good one. How far would you go? Askyourself this. It is a trial of human determination, justice andfreedom. it is a question of right and wrong and whether the endsjustify the means. Does Russel Crowe have the right to do the things hedoes in this movie? It also is another generic reminder that the law isnot infallible because people are not infallible.This movie is so slow and boring I almost left. One star for RusselCrowe. (How this ever got a good critic report I'll never know).

Quiet Storm

20 April 2012

Thrilling all the way thru

I like how the movie gives a very brief intro to the main characters & gets right to it! And right from the very beginning, you begin wondering if she's guilty. You get just enough to say "maybe she did" and an equal amount of "maybe she didn't". There's never any doubt where her husband stands & whether he's wrong or right, it takes him into very unfamiliar territory & there's a great deal of realism in that he makes quite a few mistakes. The suspense builds. Did she do it? Will he stick to it? Will he blow it? Can he pull it off? Will she leave him hanging? Will they get killed? Then there's the "Oh, no she didn't" moment that you'll be certain answers all of the above questions..... but you'll have to see it to know for yourself & it's very much worth it, as I may even go & see it again!!!

shirleykernan-1

20 April 2012

Unconvincing, prison break mush

Focussing on the actions of a man driven to extremes when his wife isimprisoned for a crime she claims not to have committed, The Next ThreeDays sets itself up as an exciting countdown movie but fails to deliverthe necessary punch.Russell Crowe plays John Brennan who, when faced with no other choice,decides to break his beloved missus Lara (Elizabeth Banks) out of jail– an ordinary man undertaking an extraordinary task. And that's thecrux of the problem, real life is generally yawnsome; it's hard to showordinary while maintaining tension.When it is striving to be real, The Next Three Days is dull and easilyforgotten; when realism is damned and Brennan/Crowe has some successes,it all seems rather ridiculous and pointless – are we really supposedto be rooting for this idiot and his idiot plan? And what evidence hasthis conviction been based on anyway? The ping of a missing buttonapparently - which says a lot about the trembling basis on which thistale unfolds.The Next Three Days is at its best when it ramps up the action – whenBrennan/Crowe finds himself in the middle of a drugs den and takesappropriately, if surprisingly harsh action considering he is a manmade of marshmallow. It's not that the plot becomes anymore plausible,but at least you have some well paced action and a few interestingcharacters to soak up the general malaise.Another good point was that, unlike Brennan/Crowe's unwavering belief,the audience does start to doubt the innocence of the missus . Wehaven't, after all, seen anything to prove Mrs Brennan really didn't doit. When Lara, in a fit a of pique, admits to the crime, I almostcheered aloud that little Ms Perfect might actually be a cold heartedmurderer after all - now there's a character flaw worth myattention...for a few minutes anyway, till we are back to ProfessorPlod and his plodding plan. The Next Three Days sets itself up as the story of how a mundaneeveryman can achieve the impossible when driven by love and belief – aninsight into the mind of a desperate man, if you will. It is aninteresting idea but, while Brennan faces the odd hitch, everythingseems to slot into place too neatly and the action – when it doesarrive – seems to belong to a different movie.It's not a bad film (based on the fact I have seen The Ugly Truth andtherefore have seen worse), but it's not quite a good film either; it'sjust more Sunday afternoon on the couch than Saturday night in thecinema.